Thai Edge in Brindley Place will be marking Songkran, the Thai New Year festival next month.
Thai New Year
Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year, is from the 13th - 15th April. The date marks the end of a 12-month cycle and the beginning of a new solar year, as the sun moves into Aries in April.
Songkran is officially a three-day festival. On the first day, firecrackers are usually lit to send the old year on its way and ward off evil spirits, whilst homes and gardens are given a good cleaning. The most important aspect of the day is the cleaning of Buddha images.
The second day belongs to neither the new year or the old year and it is thought to be particularly bad luck to argue on this day. This day is also used to prepare food, which will be given the following day to monks and temples for merit making.
The third day is the equivalent of New Year’s Day in the West. It is also the last opportunity for people to let their hair down and the party starts early and continues until dusk.
Traditionally, celebrations will commence with a Buddhist priest performing a simple good luck ceremony. Buddhist monks will perform a symbolic gesture washing statues of Buddha to bring good luck.
Water is also definitely at the heart of the Songkran festival In Thailand. The enthusiastic water-throwing that fills the streets is symbolic of washing away sins and bad luck at this time, providing a clean slate for the new year ahead. It is normal to see people soaked with water, which is welcome relief from the April heat in Thailand, but not so much in cooler Brum!